The absolute best vegan carrot cake recipe! Perfectly spiced and so easy to make, this cake is moist, dense, and topped with an amazing vegan cream cheese frosting made from cashews. Perfect for your Easter menu or anytime dessert, this vegan cake is completely oil-free, dairy-free, and delicious!
This vegan carrot cake is amazing and my absolute favorite dessert. It uses simple ingredients, one bowl, and is so freaking moist. And, the fact it’s all done without oil, dairy, or eggs makes it that much more incredible.
I know many times you hear me say, “No one will ever know it’s vegan or healthy.” But, I’m telling you…NO ONE WILL EVER KNOW IT’S VEGAN AND HEALTHY! This thing will blow your mind.
Carrot cake has long been one of my favorite desserts and my mother-in-law makes, uhh excuse me, made one of the best. I took her recipe, tweaked it just a bit, and let’s just say…I’m good. (Shots fired in the carrot cake war, Gran!)
If you thought eating healthy and going vegan meant depriving yourself then think again, Patrick! It’s time for you to set the dessert table with this vegan carrot cake recipe. (Apologies in advance for the sore hand from all the high-fives you’ll be receiving)
Table of Contents
Ingredients You’ll Need
For a detailed list of ingredients and instructions, see the recipe card down below.
Alright, let’s take a look and what you’re going to need for this healthy and delicious vegan carrot cake recipe. More importantly you’ll see what you won’t need…eggs, dairy, and oil. No, it ain’t gonna suck!
There’s actually two parts to this recipe, the cake and the frosting.
For the cake
- Carrots: Honestly, I don’t know why I feel the need to list this because it’s the foundation of carrot cake. But, for the sake of argument, yes, you have to carrots in carrot cake.
- Flour: whole wheat pastry flour is excellent for this recipe or you could also use organic unbleached flour. Other options you could use are whole wheat flour or white whole wheat. If you need your cake to be gluten-free I would suggest using Bob’s Red Mill Gluten-Free 1:1 Baking Flour. FYI, I have not made this recipe using gluten-free flour but have found this particular brand to be successful with other baked goods.
- Pineapple: Most carrot cake purists say this is a big “no-no”, but I didn’t ask them, so… Pineapple adds extra flavor and natural sweetness to the cake. But, it’s also great for adding the moisture you need for a good carrot cake. You know, because we’re oil-free and stuff.
- Applesauce, baking soda, and baking powder: Baking soda and baking powder obviously help the cake to rise. But, combined with the applesauce it also works as the perfect egg replacer.
- Raisins and Nuts: This vegan carrot cake recipe is moist and dense, so the raisins and nuts add a very contrasting, but pleasing texture. If you have a nut allergy or just don’t like them feel free to omit them from the recipe.
- Sweetener: I used a combination of maple syrup and dark brown sugar. But, you could also use organic cane sugar or just maple syrup. Yes, sweeteners of any kind are empty calories. But, they do have a place in a WFPB diet and that place should be reserved for dessert.
- Flax: ground flaxseed or flaxseed meal is used to make flax eggs. It works just like real eggs would in baking. It helps to hold everything together. Here in the south, we call it…”the bindin’.”
- Spices: Pumpkin pie spice is my personal choice. I use my own DIY recipe and keep a big container of it in the pantry because I use it in tons of recipes.
- Milk: any unsweetened non-dairy milk will work. I typically use almond milk or oat milk for any baking. Soy milk works great too.
For the frosting
Carrot cake can be enjoyed as is, but a REALLY good vegan carrot cake should be topped with amazing vegan cream cheese icing. You won’t believe the richness and creaminess of this vegan cream cheese frosting recipe. All you need are 5 common ingredients.
Here’s what you’ll need…
- Cashews: Cashews are always an excellent base for anything creamy. They’re neutral in flavor and tend to blend up very easily and creamy after being soaked.
- Unsweetened Non-Dairy Milk: soy or oat are my favorites when making frostings and creams. But, almond will work if that’s what you have on hand.
- Maple Syrup: for sweetening and adding that extra depth of flavor.
- Acid: lemon juice or apple cider vinegar will work, but I typically use lemon juice. Either one will give you that sour effect that’s characteristic of cream cheese.
To make the frosting just throw everything into a high-powered blender and process until it’s completely smooth and creamy. If you only have a regular blender simply soak your cashews in hot water for 15-20 minutes.
How To Make Vegan Carrot Cake
I realize this might seem impossible at first, but trust me, it’s very simple. There are quite a few ingredients, but it’s very likely you have everything or almost everything in your pantry.
Here’s how…
- Preheat your oven to 350˚F and prepare your cake pan(s) by lining the bottom of the pans with parchment paper. Use one 9×13-inch pan, two 8-inch round pans, or three 6-inch round pans.
- Shred the carrots, make your flax eggs, and then set them aside.
- To a large bowl add the flour, pumpkin pie spice, baking powder, baking soda, and salt and whisk everything together.
- Mix the non-dairy milk, apple cider vinegar, vanilla extract, sugar, and maple syrup together in a large measuring cup. Pour into the dry ingredients, add the flax eggs, and mix until everything is just combined.
- Add the shredded carrots, pineapple, applesauce, walnuts, and raisins and gently mix everything together until it forms a thick cake batter.
- Spoon the batter evenly into your prepared pan(s). Bake for 35-40 minutes or until the top is deep golden brown and a toothpick or knife inserted into the center comes out clean.
- For the frosting: While the carrot cake is baking go ahead and make the vegan cream cheese frosting. Simply add all of the frosting ingredients to a high-speed blender and process until it’s completely smooth and creamy. Place the frosting in the fridge and let it sit for at least 30 minutes so it set up all nice and firm.
- Remove from the oven and let the cake(s) sit in the pan(s) for at least 15 minutes. Then carefully run a knife around the edges and gently flip onto a cooling rack and cool completely.
- Once the cake has completely cooled you may frost the cake however you desire.
For best results when spreading the frosting use a wooden spoon or spreading spatula.
⏲ Baking Time
I say this and cannot stress it enough. Bake times can and usually do vary according to the appliance as well as the number of layers you wish to bake.
As you can see by the photos I baked a 3-layer vegan carrot cake. So, my cooking time was closer to 45 minutes. But, in general, with a single layer or 2 8-inch pans, it should be around the 35-40 minute mark. That being said, I would still use the toothpick method to test for doneness.
Also, the top of the cake should be a darker golden brown and should not be jiggly or spongey when you touch it. So, you shouldn’t worry about over-baking.
Storing and Freezing
If by some strange act of nature you should find yourself with leftovers this vegan carrot cake can be kept in the fridge in an air-tight container for up to 7 days.
Yes, you can also freeze this vegan carrot cake! And, you can do it one of two ways.
- If you want to freeze the entire cake do it unfrosted. Once it is completely cool, wrap it tightly in plastic wrap and place it in a freezer-safe container. The carrot cake will keep well for up to 4 months in the freezer.
- If you want to freeze individual slices with frosting, place the leftover slices in the fridge so the frosting will firm up a bit. Then wrap the individual slices tightly in plastic wrap and place in a freezer-safe container or plastic bag. They should keep for up to 3 months.
Once you’re ready to enjoy the vegan carrot cake simply place it in the fridge overnight to thaw. This vegan cake is excellent cold or at room temperature.
Pro Tips For Perfect Vegan Carrot Cake
- Let the carrot cake completely cool! Allowing the cakes to completely cool will help the flavor develop. This cake benefits from lots of air-flow. If you’re in a rush place the cakes in the refrigerator or freezer until cool to the touch.
- Pineapple. If using canned pineapple be sure and use one NOT packed in syrup. YUCK!
- Use parchment paper. If you are not using a silicon baking pan always place a piece of parchment paper in the bottom of your pans. It helps the cake to slide out much easier.
- If any of your ingredients are cold allow them to come to room temperature before baking with them. They will mix together much easier than firm and cold ingredients.
- Do not overmix! Yes, this vegan carrot cake is dense. But, overmixing will cause it to firm up and harden during the baking process. Dense and firm are not the same thing.
- Follow the recipe. Weigh or measure the ingredients and follow the recipe. That is all.
- Frosting: If you are making a single-layer vegan carrot cake you will have more than enough frosting. However, you will need to double the frosting recipe if you plan on making a two or three-layer vegan carrot cake.
- Do not frost the cakes until they have completely cooled. If the cakes are warm the icing will soften and the layers will slide.
- Refrigerate. You can totally enjoy this cake at room temperature. But, for an exceptional experience place the cake in the fridge for 30 minutes once it’s been frosted. Amazing!
Vegan Carrot Cake FAQ
I wouldn’t say this is a “health food,” but it is oil-free, dairy-free, and uses no animal products at all. I would say it’s healthy. It also contains fiber, vitamins, minerals, and protein. That being said, dessert is dessert. So even though it’s made with whole food ingredients it is still dessert. And, don’t make every meal dessert.
If you want to freeze the entire cake do it unfrosted. Once it is completely cool, wrap it tightly in plastic wrap and place it in a freezer-safe container. The carrot cake will keep well for up to 4 months in the freezer.
If you want to freeze individual slices with frosting, place the leftover slices in the fridge so the frosting will firm up a bit. Then wrap the individual slices tightly in plastic wrap and place in a freezer-safe container or plastic bag. They should keep for up to 3 months.
Once you’re ready to enjoy the vegan carrot cake simply place it in the fridge overnight to thaw. This vegan cake is excellent cold or at room temperature.
If you need your cake to be gluten-free I would suggest using Bob’s Red Mill Gluten-Free 1:1 Baking Flour. FYI, I have not made this recipe using gluten-free flour but have found this particular brand to be successful with other baked goods.
Use a standard box grater or the grating attachment for your food processor. It’s perfect for making shredded carrots.
Yes. Follow the same instructions and use a muffin pan. You should get 12-15 cupcakes.
Substitutions and Variations
Here are some subtle changes and variations you can make that won’t hurt the structure of the recipe.
- Add some unsweetened shredded coconut to the frosting or the cake.
- If you’re not that big on the texture you can leave out the raisins and walnuts.
- If you choose to omit the pineapple, which I don’t recommend, double the amount of applesauce. Remember, we’re not using oil so this is the source of your moisture.
You can also learn more about oil-free baking HERE.
Other Vegan Recipes Will Enjoy
- The Best Vegan Banana Bread
- Easy Vegan Zucchini Bread
- Vegan Classic Peanut Butter Cookies
- Vegan Chocolate Chip Banana Muffins
I hope you enjoy this delicious Vegan Carrot Cake recipe! Please be sure to leave a comment and a star rating. Peace and feast.
Print
The Best Vegan Carrot Cake
- Prep Time: 15 mins.
- Cook Time: 40 mins.
- Total Time: 55 minutes
- Yield: 12 slices 1x
- Category: Vegan Dessert Recipes
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: Vegan
- Diet: Vegan
Description
The absolute best vegan carrot cake recipe! Perfectly spiced and so easy to make, this cake is moist, dense, and topped with an amazing vegan cream cheese frosting made from cashews. Perfect for your Easter menu or anytime dessert, this vegan cake is completely oil-free and dairy-free!
Ingredients
For the cake
- 2 flax eggs (2 Tbsp ground flax + 6 Tbsp warm water)
- 3 cups whole wheat pastry flour or organic unbleached flour
- 1 Tbps pumpkin pie spice
- 1 Tbsp baking powder
- 1 tsp. baking soda
- ½ tsp. salt
- 1 cup unsweetened non-dairy milk
- 1 Tbsp apple cider vinegar
- 1 Tbsp vanilla extract
- ½ cup dark brown sugar
- ½ cup maple syrup
- 2 cups shredded carrots
- 1 cup crushed pineapple
- ½ cup unsweetened applesauce
- ½ cup chopped walnuts
- ⅓ cup raisins
For The Frosting
- 1 cup raw cashews
- ½ cup unsweetened almond milk or plant-based milk of choice
- ¼ cup pure maple syrup
- 1 Tbsp. lemon juice
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 350˚F and prepare your cake pan(s) by lining the bottom of the pans with parchment paper. Use one 9×13-inch pan, two 8-inch round pans, or three 6-inch round pans.
- Shred the carrots, make your flax eggs, and then set them aside.
- To a large bowl add the flour, pumpkin pie spice, baking powder, baking soda, and salt and whisk everything together.
- Mix the non-dairy milk, apple cider vinegar, vanilla extract, sugar, and maple syrup together in a large measuring cup. Pour into the dry ingredients, add the flax eggs, and mix until everything is just combined.
- Add the shredded carrots, pineapple, applesauce, walnuts, and raisins then gently mix everything together until it forms a thick cake batter.
- Spoon the batter evenly into your prepared pan(s). Bake for 35-40 minutes or until the top is deep golden brown and a toothpick or knife inserted into the center comes out clean. You want the top to be a deep golden brown without any wiggling or jiggling.
- For the frosting: While the carrot cake is baking go ahead and make the vegan cream cheese frosting. Simply add all of the frosting ingredients to a high-speed blender and process until it’s completely smooth and creamy. Place the frosting in the fridge and let it sit for at least 30 minutes so it set up all nice and firm.
- Remove from the oven and let the cake(s) sit in the pan(s) for at least 15 minutes. Then carefully run a knife around the edges and gently flip onto a cooling rack and cool completely.
- Once the cake has completely cooled you may frost the cake however you desire.
Equipment
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Notes
Nutrition info is an estimate which includes the frosting recipe.
Let the carrot cake completely cool! Allowing the cakes to completely cool will help the flavor develop. This cake benefits from lots of air-flow. If you’re in a rush place the cakes in the refrigerator or freezer until cool to the touch.
Pineapple. If using canned pineapple be sure and use one NOT packed in syrup. YUCK!
Use parchment paper. If you are not using a silicon baking pan always place a piece of parchment paper in the bottom of your pans. It helps the cake to slide out much easier.
If any of your ingredients are cold allow them to come to room temperature before baking with them. They will mix together much easier than firm and cold ingredients.
Do not overmix! Yes, this vegan carrot cake is dense. But, overmixing will cause it to firm up and hardened during the baking process. Dense and firm are not the same thing.
Follow the recipe. Weigh or measure the ingredients and follow the recipe. That is all.
Frosting: If you are making a single-layer vegan carrot cake you will have more than enough frosting. However, you will need to double the frosting recipe if you plan on making a two or three-layer vegan carrot cake.
Do not frost the cakes until they have completely cooled. If the cakes are warm the icing will soften and the layers will slide.
Refrigerate. You can totally enjoy this cake at room temperature. But, for an exceptional experience place the cake in the fridge for 30 minutes once it’s been frosted. Amazing!
Nutrition
- Serving Size:
- Calories: 332
- Sugar: 26.9 g
- Sodium: 246.4 mg
- Fat: 9.9 g
- Carbohydrates: 56.7 g
- Fiber: 5.2 g
- Protein: 7.9 g
- Cholesterol: 0 mg
I always love your recipes since they are easy and oil free. Searched for your cake recipe and this came up. I made it for my son’s birthday and it was amazing!!! We all loved it! Absolutely delicious and healthy!!
Thanks Shane!!
Wow, that’s so awesome! Thank you so much!
For the icing, what can be substituted for the cashews? Could I use tofu and/or oats instead as I don’t eat nuts.
Extra firm silken tofu by Mori Nu could work. Try using this recipe as a base but adjust the flavor. Let me know how it turns out!
https://shaneandsimple.com/tofu-chocolate-mousse-recipe-vegan/
Yummy, yummy, yummy!!!!!
Thanks so much for the recipe.
★★★★★
Made this yesterday. Our family gives it 5 stars!
The frosting compliments the cake.
Your recipes make it a joy to eat healthfully!
★★★★★
Oh, yeah!!!
Mr Shane Martin: If I were to use an 8oz can of crushed pineapple in juice, would I drain the pineapple or use the entire can with its juice? Thx for your advice.
I usually drain it.
Help Shane – the cake looks wonderful but I’m VERY allergic to pineapple – so what suggestions do you have for a substitute????
You can leave out the pineapple and sub in applesauce.
I am also allergic to pinapple! Someone further down in the comments left it out and subbed with an extra cup of carrots. Betwee. That or extra applesauce I don’t know which would be better. Maybe some kind of combo?
Applesauce is a good option to replace the pineapple.
I don’t know how I found this but it is an absolute blessing! I was drawn to it because of the amount of shredded carrots (I did not use the pineapple,but just added another cup of shredded carrots) and shut the front door!!! This carrot cake is amazing! After making your mayo I was so impressed I made this for my son and DIL without ever tasting it myself until we cut into it at their place. I just knew it was going to be good, but not THAT good. Thank you – I will be trying many more of your recipes – this was delightful.
★★★★★
Marina, that is so great, and welcome! Thank you for reaching out.
Could date paste be subbed for the maple syrup??
Sure thing, but date syrup is even better.
Hi Shane- This recipe looks great. I was wondering if I can use fresh pineapple for this recipe? Thanks!
You should be able to with no problem. The recipe calls for pineapple so as long as you use the specified amount there should be no problem.
Absolutely loved this cake and my husband (who is not vegan) liked it too! Will definietely be making this again and adding this recipe to my collection! Thank you so much.
★★★★★
Thank you so much!
Excellent cake ! Thanks for the recipe !
★★★★★
YUM! I made this cake once last weekend with 1/4 c. date sugar and the rest maple syrup. It was sensational, but I needed more cashews in the frosting to make it the perfect consistency, even with lots of fridge time. I just made it again, with 1/2 scant cup maple syrup, 1/4 date sugar, and 1/4 date syrup. For the frosting, I used 2 c. cashews, 1/3 cup milk, 1/4 maple syrup, and 1.5 T lemon juice. PERFECT texture/thickness after refrigerating for 15 mins. Thank you so much for this recipe, it is my new favorite dessert! It has gotten lots of great feedback from sugar and oil-eating carnivores too!
★★★★★
Magy, thank you so much!
Have a great weekend. Blessings.
Love this carrot cake!! I’m fairly new to vegan cooking and I wanted to test this cake out for a special occasion. Perfect!! The pineapple really adds to the deliciousness. This vegan carrot cake will be enjoyed for many future events. Thank you so much Shane!
★★★★★
Hi! I juste did this cake ans I was wondering : is it normal that the cake is still spongy on the inside after it has been bake 1h? I let it cool in the pan and it still is spongy…
Hi, Audrey! It is a very dense cake.
Hi Shane! Love this recipe, wondering if I can substitute a cup of flour for oat flour or rye flour.
★★★★★
Oat flour should work fine.
Hi Shane. I made your carrot cake today for my husbands birthday tomorrow. I can’t taste it but it looks delicious. But my frosting is watery. I followed the recipe to a T. Soaked the cashews and used my nutrition bullet.Its very creamy but not thick enough. WOuld you have any suggestions on how to make it thicker? I love all your recipes.
Thanks, Maureen! Allow it to sit in the fridge for a bit and it will thicken. You could also add a few more cashews and blend.
I really loved the cake recipe. I’m not sure about the frosting. It came out a little more gooey than I was hoping. And the frosting was sort of an ugly beige color, not as white as the picture. Between the cashews, vanilla and maple syrup, it was light beige.
★★★★
This carrot cake is delicious.. Made it 3 times so far and a big hit each time. Thank you Shane for sharing.
Thank you so much, Diane! If you wouldn’t mind, I’d really appreciate you giving it a star rating. It helps me with the “powers that be” in the mighty Google tower:)
★★★★★
Should the juice be drained from the pineapple?
No.
★★★★★
Can I use date sugar instead of brown sugar?
Hi, Naomi! I haven’t personally tried it but see no reason why it wouldn’t work. The only issue that could arise is date sugar doesn’t dissolve quite as well as brown sugar. But, hey, cake is cake:)
★★★★★
This was phenomenal!!! Thank you for being so generous and sharing with the world. :]
★★★★★
Thank you so much, Becky!
★★★★★
This carrot cake recipe was delicious and so like my non-healthy version that no one guessed I had switched up recipes! I haven’t yet tried the frosting since one of my guests was allergic to nuts but I’m looking forward to trying it soon! Thanks, Shane!
Thank you, Paulette!
★★★★★
This cake is fabulous. My icing didnt turn out as well as I had hoped, but it’s okay. I had to use my food processor since my Vitamix died (RIP)! Maybe that was the reason. Thank you for a wonderful recipe. Hubby has a birthday cake!! Thanks again~
Karen, I’m so glad you enjoyed the carrot cake. Yeah, you will definitely have a better experience with a blender when making the icing. Have a great day!
★★★★★
Such a nice treat! I made 12 cupcakes and one 8″ layer and enjoyed 2 unfrosted cupcakes. Great for an occasional treat and stored the rest in the freezer. A recipe everyone can enjoy.
★★★★★
This cake was decadent! Made it for Easter dinner and it was a treat. So dense and so moist…and I even messed it up. I forgot to add the flax egg and pumpkin pie spice. 🙁 I managed to sprinkle the pie spice on top of the unbaked cakes in the pan but the flax egg was a goner. Guess what? It turned out amazing anyway. The flavor was great and the texture was like a dense carrot cake (may have been fluffier with the flax egg but who cares at this point, right?). Definitely like the tip for refrigerating it, it gives the cake a little extra something when it’s chilled. Shane, you’ve done it again. Keep on bringing us these “gonna save this to make again for my non-WFPB friends” recipes! You make living a WFPB lifestyle easy! Thank you!
★★★★★
This carrot cake was the grand finale of our Easter Sunday dinner and was the star of the show! Thanks for such a delicious and easy recipe.
★★★★★
These was excellent even without the frosting! Thanks for such an easy recipe.
I do plan on frosting it tomorrow, but we couldn’t resist a sample today since it smelled so wonderful!
★★★★★
The absolute decadent dessert for a special occasion..Thanks Shane!!
★★★★★
The absolute best vegan carrot cake recipe! Perfectly spiced and so easy to make, this cake is moist, dense, and topped with an amazing vegan cream cheese frosting made from cashews. Perfect for your Easter menu or anytime dessert, this vegan cake is completely oil-free and dairy-free!
★★★★★
How much pumpkin pie spice do you use?
1 tablespoon. It’s in there now. Sorry:)
★★★★★
Could you use a gluten free flour instead?
Yes, it’s in the post. I would use Bob’s Red Mill 1:1 or fine oat flour.
★★★★★
Will it turn out ok if we use shorgum flour?
No, if you need it gluten-free use Bob’s Red Mill 1:1 Gluten-Free flour or fine oat flour.
★★★★★